The present invention relates to an arrangement for positioning at least two milking animals in at least two milking stalls, wherein the arrangement comprises a front barrier arranged in a vertical plane and defining a front portion of the milking stalls, positioning means adapted to position the animals in a milking position in the milking stalls such that a longitudinal axis of the animals forms an angle of 10°-80° to said vertical plane of the front barrier and wherein said positioning means comprise an individually movable front positioning element in each milking stall, adapted to define the position of a front part of the animal in the milking stall, and a second positioning element adapted to define the position of a rear portion of the milking stalls.
Milking parlors having a plurality of milking stalls are usually provided with a pit from which an operator attaches milking members to cows in the milking stalls. It is important to position the cows in the milking stalls in a manner such that it is easy for the operator to reach the udders of the cows and attach the milking members. Due to the fact that milking stalls are equally large and the cows in a herd have different sizes, there is a risk that small cows of the herd take a position in the milking stalls in which the udders of the cows are located at a relatively long distance from the pit.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,320 shows a herringbone milking parlour for cows including two banks of milking stalls. The milking stalls are arranged at opposite sides of a pit in a herringbone pattern. Each milking stall comprises a movably arranged feed manger. The feed mangers can be individually placed in different positions in the milking stalls depending on the sizes of the cows such that the rear parts of the cows will be placed in the vicinity of a rear guide fence in the milking stall. When the rear parts of the cows are in such positions, it is easy for an operator in the pit to reach the udders of the cows and attach the milking members.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,567 shows an automatic individual indexing apparatus for a dairy parlor. The dairy parlor is provided with milking stalls in which the milking animals are standing in a right angle to a front part of the milking stalls. Each milking stall comprises a pair of pivoted gates at the front part. The pivoted gates are moveable between a closed position in which they engage the shoulders of the cows and a second position releasing the cows. A closing mechanism moves the gates towards the shoulders of a cow when it has entered a milking stall. The gates hold the cow in a position such that the rear part of the cow is located in the vicinity of a butt plate which is adapted to limit rearward movement of the cow in the milking stall.
Consequently it is known to position milking animals of different sizes in milking stalls by means of feed mangers. It is also known to use a pair of gates acting on a front part of a cow in order to position cows of different sizes in a desired position in a milking stall. However, it is not possible to use such a pair of gates when the animals stand in an inclined position in relation to the front part of the milking stalls.